Vehicle signal actuating means



May 2, 1950 M. MCMAHON 2,506,374

VEHICLE SIGNAL ACTUATING MEANS Filed July 2, 1945 INVENToR. A'f//c/A EL MMA/m Arlo/ways Patented May 2, '1950 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a vehicle signal actuating device designed to swing a semaphore type of signal on a vehicle into the three conventional positions indicating slow speed, a lefthand turn, and a right-hand turn, respectively.

An object of the invention is to provide a simplified and highly compact actuating device which may utilize the vacuum generated in the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle as motive power and which by a simplified valve construction will cause the actuator to swing the signal into any of the three positions as desired and maintain the signal in this position until the valve is operated to permit the signal to return to its normal or nonindicating position.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective View illustrating a signal arm and the operating or actuating means embodying the present invention as having been connected thereto, the actuating means being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a combined section through the cylinder of the actuating means and the valve mechanism for controlling the same; and

Figs. 3, e, and are sectional views taken substantially upon the lines 3 3, 4 4, and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, S indicates a signal arm of the semaphore type pivotally mounted at I0 on a suitable mounting bracket II that maybe attached to the vehicle. The signal arm may loe equipped with a small actuating arm or it may be equipped with a spool as indicated over which is trained a ilexible element I2, the arrangement being such that when the iiexible element I2 is pulled the arm will swing outwardly and upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1, into or through a downwardly and outwardly inclined position indicating slow speed, a horizontal position indicating a left-hand turn; or an upwardly inclined position indicating a right-hand turn.

The actuating means embodying the present invention comprises a cylinder-providing means I3 having heads I4 and I5 at its ends and divided by partitions I6 and I'I into three cylinders I8, I9, and 20, which are of progressively increasing length. In other wordsr cylinder, I8 is theshortest cylinder, cylinder I9 somewhat longer, and cylinder 20 is longer than cylinder I9. These cylinders may be equipped with liners 2| and each cylinder has a piston disposed therein, the pistons being indicated at 22, 23, and 24. The piston 24, which is in the largest cylinder 20 has a piston rod 26 secured thereto which extends through the partitions I I and i6 and through the'oylinders I9 and I8 out through the head I4. The piston rod is connected to the eXible element I2 and when actuated serves to actuate the signal arm.

Piston 22 has a sleeve Z'I secured thereto which extends from the piston through partition I6 so as to be engageable with piston 23. In a similar manner, piston 23 is equipped with a somewhat longer sleeve 23 surrounding the piston rod 26 which extends from the piston through partition l1 so as to be engageable with piston 24, The extreme ends of the sleeves 21 and 2t are internally enlarged to provide a small clearance 29 between the interior of the sleeve and the piston rod 26. The sleeves are also perforated as at 30 opposite the internal enlargement. A groove 3| is formed on one side of the piston rod and eX- tends the complete length thereof or in other words, from piston 24 through head I4.

Conduits or tubes indicated at S2 and 33 are connected to the partitions I6 and I'I, respectively, to communicate with the interiors of cylinders I8 and I9. In a similar manner, a tube 313 is connected to the head I5 for communication with. cylinder 2G. A valve construction is provided consisting of a cylinder g 35, one end of which is connected to a conduit or tube 36 that in turn is connected to the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine on the vehicle. The mentioned end of the cylinder has a valve seat 31 on which is adapted to seat a valve closure 38v adjacent which there is a piston 39. A handle 40 is pivotally connected to the piston as at4 4I' and this handle has a series of notches 42 engageable with the edge of a washer 43 that is locked in the cylinder as by a locking ring 44. The piston 39 is urged into a position wherein the valve closure 38 seats upon the valve seat 31 by a compression spring 45. In the sides of the cylinder there are three ports 4t, 41, and 48. These ports are longitudinally spaced from each other and are circumferentially spaced from each other also. The port 48 which is the closest the valve seat 3l is connected to tube or conduit 32 and in a similar manner port 41 is connected to conduit or tube 33. Conduit '34 is connected to `port 46. These ports are arranged to be consecu- 3 tively-opened by the piston 39 when the piston is pulled in the cylinder 35 by handle 49 against the action of the compression spring 45.

The operation and advantages of the abovedescribed construction are as follows: The conduit 36 being connected to the intake manifold of the internal combustioni engine has a parti-al vacuum constantly present therein and as piston 39 has its face that is disposed towards handle 49 constantly exposed to atmospheric pressure a differential in pressures is effective on the piston 39 to constantly urge the valve closure 38 to be seated. This is supplemented by the action of the compression spring 45. When it is desired to l swing the arm S into a position indicating slow speed, handle 4I) is pulled out of cylinder 35 until the first notch 42 engages washer t3. In this position piston 39 exposes port 48 so that the partial vacuum present in conduit 3B extends through conduit 32 that develops a partial vacuum in cylinder I8. The development of the partial vacuum in cylinder I9 causes a differential in pressures to be eiective on piston 22 inasmuch aS. atmospheric pressure may enter cylinder I8 between piston 22 and head I4 through the groove 3l. The differential in pressures shifts piston .22 lfrom the full-line position shown to the dotted-line position wherein movement of the piston is arrested by partition I6. This movement or length of stroke of piston 22 is commensurate-v with the movement required to shift the piston rod 26 and pull the exible element I2 a sufiicient distance to swing the arm S into the indicating position. The movement of the piston 22 is transmitted to the piston rod 25 through the-medium of sleeves 21 and 28, it being understood that the movement of sleeve 21 merely pushes piston 23 a distance equal to the length of stroke of piston 22 and in a similar manner the movement of piston 23 is transmitted to piston 24 through sleeve 2S. On release of the handle 4U following disengagement of the rst notch 42 from washer 43, piston 39 will automatically return to the position wherein valve closure 38 is seated and in this position port 48 is exposed to the atmospheric pressure existing in cylinder 35 on the left-hand side of piston 39. This atmospheric pressure is transmitted to cylinder i8 so that under these circumstances atmospheric pressure exists on both sides of piston 22. The

`weight of the signal arm S returns the pistons 22,

23, and 2,4, and the piston rod 25 to the full-line position shown in returning to the normal or nonindicating position wherein the signal arm is hanging vertically.

In a similar manner, if port 41 is exposed by piston 39cylinder I9 is placed in communication with conduit 36 so that piston 23 becomes the prime actuator of the signal arm. When a partial vacuum is formed in cylinder I9, piston 23 ymoiles the length of its stroke which is somewhat longer than the length of stroke of piston 22. Its movement is transmitted to the piston rod 26 by means of: the. sleeve 28 causing the piston rod to move a. sunicient distance to swing the signal arm into the horizontal position to indicate a lefthand turn. On return of the piston 39 atmospheric pressure is admitted to cylinder I9 permitting the weight of' the signal arm to return the piston 23 to the full-line position shown. During such return air that. is presented between piston` 23 and partition I6 escapes through the clearancerspace 29,.perforations 38, and groove V3 I vIiportM is exposed by piston 39 .a partial vacuum" is. developed in cylinder 29 to actuate piston 24 and move piston rod 26 the length of stroke of this piston. The length of stroke of piston 24 is sufficient to cause the signal arm S to swing into an upwardly and outwardly inclined position to indicate a right-hand turn and on return of piston 39 to its normal position the signal arm may descend under its own weight and return the piston and piston rod to their initial positions.

From the above-described constructions it will be appreciated that an improved signal actuating means is provided which is of relatively simple and durable construction, and which is highly compact enabling the actuating means to be conveniently mounted on a vehicle and to actuate its signal.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A vehicle signal actuator comprising means providing three aligned cylinders of progressively increasinglength defined from each other by xed partitions, means for selectively connecting each cylinder to a source of vacuum, a piston in each cylinder exposed on one side to atmospheric pressure and on the other to the vacuum created in its cylinder, a piston rod connected to the piston in the longest cylinder and extending through the other pistons and cylinders, each of saidother pistons having sleeves connected thereto surrounding the piston rod and engaging the piston in the next succeeding larger cylinder.

2. A vehicle signal actuator comprising means providing three aligned cylinders of progressively `increasing length, means for isolating the cylinders from one another, means for clectively connecting each cylinder to a source of vacuum, a piston in each cylinder, a piston rod connected to the piston in the longest cylinder and extending through the other pistons and cylinders, each of said other pistons having sleeves connected thereto surrounding the piston rod and engaging the piston in the next succeeding larger cylinder, said sleeves being internally enlarged adjacent their free ends and perforated, and said piston rod having a groove thereon open to the atmosphere.

3. A vehicle signal actuator comprising means providing three cylinders of progressively increasing length, means for isolating the cylinders from one another, pistons in each cylinder exposed on one side to atmospheric pressure, a pistori rod connected to the piston in the longest cylinder and adapted to be connected to a vehicle Vsignal arm so as to actuate it, sleeves secured to the pistons in the other cylinders, said sleeves engaging the pistons in the next succeeding larger cylinders, a conduit leading from a source of vacuum, a valve normally closing said conduit, a piston on said valve, a cylinder surrounding the piston, said cylinder having ports adapted to be consecutively opened by said piston, and meansconnecting said ports to the rst-mentioned cylinders whereby when the ports are exposed by the piston the source of Vacuum will be connected to. one or more of the cylinders.

4. A vehicle signal actuator comprising three aligned cylinders defined from each other by fixed partitions, each cylinder being of progressively increasing length and having pistons reciprocable therein respectively, a piston rod connected to the piston in the `longest cylinder extending through the partition and pistons of the remaining cylinders, sleeves secured to the piston in the remaining cylinders and slidably extending through the partitions so as to be engageable with the pistons in the next larger cylinder, means for admitting air to each cylinder so that atmospheric pressure is applied to one side of the piston therein, and means for connecting a source of vacuum to the cylinders selectively to be elective on the opposite sides of the pistons therein.

5. A vehicle signal actuator comprising three aligned cylinders dened from each other by partitions, each cylinder being of progressively increasing length and having pistons reciprocable therein respectively, a piston rod connected to the piston in the longest cylinder extending through the partition and pistons of the remaining cylinders, sleeves secured to the piston in the remaining cylinder and slidably extending through the partitions so as to be engageable with the pistons in the next larger cylinder, means for connecting a source of vacuum to the cylinders selectively to be eiective on one side of the pistons therein, and means for admitting atmospheric pressure through the sleeves to the cylinders so as to be elective upon the other sides of the pistons therein.

6. A vehicle signal actuator comprising three aligned cylinders defined from each other Eby partitions, each cylinder being of progressively increasing length and having pistons reciprocable therein respectively, a. piston rod connected to 6 the piston ln the longest cylinder extending through the partition and pistons of the remaining cylinders, sleeves secured to the piston in the remaining cylinder and slidably extending through the partitions so as to be engageable with the pistons inthe next larger cylinder, means for connecting a source of vacuum selectively to any of the cylinders to be effective on one side of the pistons therein, and means for admitting atmospheric pressure along the piston rod to the cylinders to be eiective on the other sides of the pistons therein.

MICHAEL McMAI-ION.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNTIED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 715,291 Potter Dec. 9, 1902 1,561,341 Martin Nov. 10, 1925 1,561,342 Martin Nov. 10, 1925 1,694,616 Blevins Dec. 11, 1928 1,956,906 Mikaelson May 1, 1934 2,095,820 Lenz Oct. 12, 1937- 2,289,043 Rockwell July '7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 301,531 Germany Nov. 2, 1917 

